Christine Scarry
Theatre Director
Creative Producer
Voice Coach
What I Do
Directing for Theatre
Creative Production
The Sondheim Festival
Develop New Work
Acting Workshops
Guest Masterclasses
Vocal Technique
Vocal Coaching
Au
Audition Rep & Prep
Vocal Health & Care
Acting Through Song
Group Workshops
Clear Speaking Skills
Wellbeing and DB&I
Virtual Voices DB&I
Voice Care
Performance Anxiety
Vocal Health
ABOUT CHRISTINE
Christine is a theatre director, creative producer, voice coach and educator, with over 25 years' experience across the cultural, corporate and education sectors.
As a director and performer, she has worked with national and international casts on a wide range of productions at home and abroad, and has directed work in New York City as well as in theatres all over Ireland. She is Artistic Director of Red Alchemy Theatre Company, Music Director of Alchemy Vox and, in 2022, joined the faculty at MTU Cork School of Music, where she directs and lectures in Acting on the BA Musical Theatre degree programme. In her private practice, Christine has a proven track record in contributing to the success of actors and singers: her clients have played roles in Ireland's major theatres, on Broadway, and in London's West End.
Christine is also Director of The Sondheim Festival - the first festival to celebrate the life and work of the theatre titan, Stephen Sondheim, which she founded in 2022, and which is now an annual feature on Kilkenny’s cultural tourism calendar. This year's festival takes place from 7-8 October, 2023.
Her extensive experience in directing and training for stage provides the basis for Christine's range of Corporate Services - engagement, wellbeing, and DB&I performance & voice programmes. The Virtual Voices programme has been successfully delivered to Women At Indeed and Glanbia, amongst others, and the Clear Speaking programme offers speaking, accent and clarity solutions to both native and non-native English speakers. Applying her clear, practical vocal and performance techniques promotes confidence and belonging in the workplace, and empowers people at all levels to become more compelling and authentic in their communication – a skill which is increasingly in demand, both on-line and in-person.
Producing/Directing credits include: In Good Company – Liz Callaway Sings Sondheim(Watergate Theatre), Vincent – A Play by Leonard Nimoy (National Tour), Find Your Way Home (Symphony Space NYC & US Tour), Steppin’ Out (Cork Opera House), The Addams Family (The Everyman, Cork), Ritual For Dolls (Mill Theatre), Listen To My Heart (National Tour), The Lonesome West (National Tour), Assassins, Cabaret, Rent, A Little Light Music (The Helix), Light, Dark & Diverse, Michael Collins, Parade, The Full Monty, The Addams Family, Sweeney Todd (Watergate), La Bohème (Opera In The Park for Dublin City Council), Putting It Together (Pavilion Theatre), the Irish premiere of The Producers, Follies (National Opera House), West Side Story(Solstice), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Millbank), Into The Woods (Draíocht & Theatre Royal), Bugsy Malone (Olympia Theatre), Annie (Olympia & Cork Opera House), Mad About Musicals (NCH), The June Rodgers Show, Moonlight and Music with Rebecca Storm & Peter Corry (Solstice) plus almost ten years as director of the pantomime season at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin. In 2024 Christine will direct The Phantom of the Opera for WLOS at the National Opera House.
Originally an actor/singer, Christine worked professionally at theatres and concert venues all over Ireland, playing widely diverse roles in both plays and musicals, notably opposite John Barrowman and David Kernan in Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love, and with Millicent Martin, Dave Willetts and Lorna Luft in an international star cast of Sondheim's Follies at the National Concert Hall. She frequently broadcast live concert performances for RTE, and toured Ireland and the USA in cabaret. Her tv/radio credits include The Late Late Show, The Gerry Ryan Show, Theatre Nights (all for RTE) and Friday Night Is Music Night (BBC). After an absence of almost 15 years, Christine returned to the stage in 2019, to play the role of Emsy in A New Fish at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin.
Christine’s early training was in Voice and Piano at the Conservatory of Music & Drama and the Royal Irish Academy of Music; she holds a first-class MA in Theatre Studies (Directing) from Dublin City University, and a Postgraduate Distinction in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship from Trinity College, Dublin. She trained in Singing for Lung Health with Phoene Cave, UK, is an accredited coach at the global network of voice experts - Vocology in Practice, and continues her Vocal Health practice at The Vocal Health, London. She is a member of the British Voice Association, AOTOS, Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and the Stephen Sondheim Society.
Originally from Dublin, Christine lives in the heart of the beautiful medieval city of Kilkenny with her artist husband, John O’Donoghue, their gorgeous golden retriever puppy, Ziggy, and two crazy rescue cats, Dot and Clarence!
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW...
THE SONDHEIM FESTIVAL 2023
Christine Scarry and Red Alchemy Theatre Company, in association with Kilkenny Arts Office, are honoured to present THE SONDHEIM FESTIVAL - celebrating the life and work of theatre titan, Stephen Sondheim - which takes place over the weekend of 7-8 October, with the main events being held at the Watergate Theatre.
The award-winning actor and singer Fra Fee will close this year’s Festival with the gala concert, Now You Know! Having previously performed in Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (Opera Toulon), Putting It Together (Lyric Theatre) and A Little Night Music (Palace Theatre), Fra will celebrate his artistic association with the legendary Stephen Sondheim through an evening of story and song, with the incomparable David Hayes on piano, and with special guest, violin virtuoso, Denice Doyle.
An exciting new addition to the Festival this year is The Sondheim Festival Bursary worth €3,000 – generously sponsored by HP – which will be awarded by open competition in the Live Final on 7 October, with special guest Liz Callaway. The money provided by The Sondheim Festival Bursary is for the support and advancement of the winner’s musical theatre education.
Other high quality events include individual performance masterclasses with Broadway's Liz Callaway and West End's Paul Monaghan, a choral workshop with David Hayes, dance masterclass with Belinda Murphy, an accent workshop, painting in the pub, and a fun quiz with Edward Hayden – all with a Sondheim twist!
Tickets for all events are now on sale from https://watergatetheatre.ie/the-sondheim-festival/
For all updates, check out The Sondheim Festival on:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thesondheimfestival/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thesondheimfestival
Twitter https://twitter.com/thesondheimfest
For further information please contact thesondheimfestival@gmail.com
John Bucchino
New York Composer/Writer
Having worked with Christine over the past couple of years, I have found her to be knowledgeable and discerning regarding all things musical, with a great facility for organisation and administration.
Killian Donnelly
Olivier Award Nominee, Broadway and West End Actor/Singer
Christine is someone who I completely trust. Mainly because she is honest with me and encourages me, as an actor, to take chances and make certain choices. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her help.
Pat Egan
International Promoter/Producer
From her brilliant work directing the highly successful “Annie” at the Olympia Theatre and Cork Opera House, to a run of six incredible sell-out Christmas shows at the Olympia Theatre, she has been first-class. A lady of extreme charm and a highly professional approach to everything she does.